North Square

hello again. Its been ten years since my last review of this show and finally I got to see it again on DVD, only 14 years since I last saw it, and its even more wonderful than ever. I still mourn its cancellation. Mckliesh, as he looks around that pub at his family. Oh that's just a wonderful bit of direction, in fact the editing is superb as well. Great line of casting, I suppose I will have to check out SILK now to see how it compares. Oh yes and I love the intro graphics as well, good music and animation. I suppose its too late to bring it back, ah well, maybe ill write another review in ten years if IMDb will let me

Another Channel 4 great canned long before it's time. Compelling acting from Phil Davis and the rest of the cast. Sexy, intelligent and funny. I remember watching it at the time and even then, asking around, no-one had really heard of it. But trying to find someone now who can recall it is even harder. Perhaps Channel 4 don't do their job well enough in drumming up the enthusiasm needed. Either that or the general public is too interested in the TV vomit that is Big Brother. I suspect the latter. Downloading of Garth Merengie's Dark Place prompted Channel 4 to release a DVD of that series. Let's hope the same can happen with North Square.

A great, slick, angry, and so very intelligent legal drama. Great casting and acting, and my intro to McCrory. One of those series, oh fantastic, building up characters over episodes and then, for no good reason, being cancelled and wiped out. How very very annoying, especially seeing what Reality TV that Ch4 pulps out year after year instead. I still miss knowing what development might have occurred in this stunning show. And great to see a top lead vehicle for Phil Davis. That moment at the end, his fatherly role, looking round at his troupe in the pub... perfection.

A really excellent legal drama that has unfortunately been cancelled after one series, North Square was almost unique in combining witty dialogue, interesting plots, superb acting and a good sense of legal life both in the courtroom and out of it, without resorting to the sordid emptiness of 'This Life'. A true cult TV series.

Here in Australia our ABC is currently doing a repeat screening of this top notch British legal drama/comedy, and not a moment too soon. 10 episodes is just not enough of North Square and it's completely criminal that more were never made.

North Square may not be a realistic portrayal of legal life (though my own experiences as a law student and one-time article clerk do make me wonder if there is a grain of truth in North Square) but it has witty dialogue and fascinating characters. It's hard to pick a favourite part of North Square but my vote goes to barrister Tom Mitford's method of swaying juries and judges - with quotes from The Merchant Of Venice....it's adaptable to any case, even indecent exposure.

But there are heaps of great moments in this show. Find a copy, watch it, and let it endear you to the legal world of Leeds.